Egypt misses out on 2013 Nations Cup

The Pharaohs seemed jaded and out-of-sorts Seven-time African champions Egypt will miss out on the Nations Cup for the second consecutive time following a 4-3 aggregate defeat by minnows Central Africa. Egypt, appearing once again a pale shadow of the side which won three successive continental titles in 2006, 2008 and 2010, needed to overturn a 3-2 first-leg deficit after they were stunned in Alexandria two weeks ago.
However, they trailed to a first-half goal from Central Africa’s Foxi Kethevoama and an opportunist goal from Egypt striker Emad Meteb, who had an otherwise disappointing night, in the 72nd minute came too little, too late.
The Pharaohs seemed jaded and out-of-sorts, suffering the adverse effects of domestic football stoppage, enforced following February’s Port Said tragedy.
They have now failed in their first genuine test under American coach Bob Bradley, who has been tasked with rebuilding a faltering side since replacing Hassan Shehata, the highly-successful boss who departed last year following the team’s failure to reach the 2012 Nations Cup.
But Egypt enjoyed a fine start to their World Cup qualifying campaign, beating Mozambique 2-0 at home before claiming a last-gasp 3-2 victory at Guinea in their first two Group G games.
It remains to be seen whether the bald-headed boss would remain in the Egypt hot-seat.
Egypt’s audacious starting XI, which featured three attacking midfielders and a lone striker in Ahly’s Meteb, did not trouble a resolute Central Africa backline.
In a carbon copy of the first leg, Central Africa successfully made the most of their fast-paced counter attacks while remaining solid at the back. Egypt, on the other hand, looked toothless, with Meteb and forward Mohamed Nagy ‘Gedo’ unable to unsettle the hosts’ defence.  
The state of the muddy pitch also made it difficult for both sides to move the ball around.
Central Africa wasted the first chance after 19 minutes when Fernander Kassai sent in a superb cross with the outside of his left foot which evaded Hossam Ghaly, a natural central midfielder who was deployed as a defender, and found Kethevoama, whose volley missed the target.
Kethevoama made amends four minutes later when he made light of a challenge from Egypt’s right-back Ahmed Fathi, who deputized for the injured Ahmed Elmohamady, at the far post to head home a deep cross past Essam El-Hadary.
Needing three goals to advance, Egypt poured forward but still struggled to create clear-cut chances.
Their sole chance before the break fell to the sluggish Meteb, who blasted a shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy after being found by a deflected shot from winger Mohamed Salah.
Bradley introduced Ahmed Temsah and Ahmed Hassan Mekki in the second half to inject zeal but Central Africa still unsettled the visitors with their neatly-worked counter attacks. They were unlucky not to put the result beyond doubt on several occasions.
Egypt grabbed a lifeline in the 72nd minute when Temsah weaved his way between two defenders on the left hand side of the penalty before squaring the ball to Meteb, whose deflected close-range shot looped into the net.
However, Central Africa held firm in the remaining minutes to survive an Egypt onslaught and qualify for the final qualifying round, shattering the Pharaohs’ hopes to play in South Africa next year.